The 32nd of Jon Turney’s weekly selection (introduced HERE) impresses with drumming of cherishable ferocity.
I loved the albums Jack DeJohnette made as leader in the late 1970s and early ’80s. They were raucous, loose-limbed affairs, with a brilliant roster of (then) young soloists, and hugely enjoyable.
But for a track where DeJohnette really shows that almost ruthless, relentless quality he has at his most intense I turn to Gateway.
They were a democratic threesome who sometimes played delicate, pastoral pieces. This is not one of those. After the dreamy, lightly fuzzed intro from John Abercrombie’s guitar, the power trio’s engine fires up. Drums and bass kick in for the theme and everyone holds on for a headlong ride.
Abercrombie’s solo is melody-led, but the sound is heavily electric. Dave Holland’s bass pounds out the rhythm as he improvises. And the drummer has a fine time underscoring every move the other two make with his most uninhibited, emphatic stick work, and a memorable solo of his own where – well, let’s say dynamics are not his main concern here. It’s maybe not the most profound music any of these three have made, but as a mood lifter it’s unbeatable.
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I’ve always loved this tune. In fact, I’ve always loved just about every note this band played. I live in hope that deep inside the ECM vaults there is some unreleased material, maybe some live recordings that may one day see the light of day.
Have a look on YouTube, where a bunch of live sets have surfaced recently…